Why should we have to pay extra to make sure the postal service does what we are paying them to do in the first place?
Because we'll pay it?
Because if you don't pay it and something happens you're screwed.
Quote from: James McMurrayBecause if you don't pay it and something happens you're screwed.
Well, yes, that's the way it actually works out. But since the postal service has already accepted your money in exchange for delivering a piece of mail, shouldn't the burden be on them to make it right if it doesn't get delivered?
Probably, but life ain't fair.
I love the way you think, Techno...
But Mail is the one true Monopoly - legislatively enforced. So I'm guessing there's a law that lets them off of damages because, you know, they want to be (boo hoo we deliver all this mail, you can't make us accountable for any mistakes).
So you get insured mail.
Having said that, don't you do the same thing for FedEx and UPS? Which would totally shake my very important argument to it's utter foundations.
I feel your pain but since they are a government entity they have sovereign immunity unless they choose to let themselves be sued and they would much rather let us pay money for insurance than try to adjudicate claims of how much packages and letters are actually worth....."what do you mean junk mail! you lost my original copy of the U.S. Constitution you fuckwad....now pay up!"
It would probably be more fair but just wouldn't be practical unfortunately.
Dude, accidents happen, that's life. That's why insurance of any kind exists.
Why don't you lay down the "OMG THE GUVMINT IS EVEIL!" paranoia a second and consider that maybe, just maybe, everything an organization does isn't some plot to scam you.
Quote from: J ArcaneDude, accidents happen, that's life. That's why insurance of any kind exists.
But if they lose my mail, it's their accident, not mine. They should be the ones paying for insurance, not me.
If I take my car in to the shop for repairs and they don't do the repairs and I get in an accident as a result, should my insurance have to cover that? Or should the repair shop have to pay to make it right?
Beyond businesses designed t prevent loss and damage, you'll be hard pressed to find any business that handles other peoples' things that says "we are responsible for loss and damage." If the government automatically covers all loss and damage, they'd have to switch to a totally hands on approach to make sure that the mail made it directly to you and wasn't removed from your mailbox before you could get there. That would cost a hell of a lot more to the users than insurance.
what do you really get for it (the insurance) anyway?
i mean, say i win a game on ebay for 5 bucks/pounds/credits and get insurance. if the post fucks up and i don't get it, i'm still out the game i wanted in the first place. i just get my fiver back? that's it? how about if it ends up damaged. do i get the damaged item and the cash?
seems like a waste to me, honestly. i'd only bother if the package was worth a fair sum (like, over $50, i guess).
You get whatever you paid for in insurance, although if you try to go insane and insure a postcard for $5,000 you open yourself to fraud charges.
To use your game example, you could insure the item for cover price + shipping fees + "this is what I think it's worth" bonus fees. If it disappears you get that amount. If it's damaged, you get that amount. In either case they'll, and if they think you're trying to screw them, they'll try to screw back.
Also, some shipping types come with insurance built in. For instance, if you send a package express mail you get $100 in insurance included in the express mail cost.
Quote from: James McMurrayAlso, some shipping types come with insurance built in. For instance, if you send a package express mail you get $100 in insurance included in the express mail cost.
UPS includes either $99 or $100 in insurance with the base price, if you want more then that you can pay for the extra.
My fiancee thought the same way about insuring stuff, until she sold two textbooks and they got lost in St. Louis. She insured the rest and found out someone at the post office in St. Louis was opening and stealing books out of packages and reselling them.
We were still out $200 or so from not insuring the first two textbooks. If it's worth more money than you can stand to lose, it's best to insure it.
Something to watch out for on eBay and other sites are the people who sell you the book/dvd/whatever for $0.99 and overcharge on the shipping. The insurance only covers the purchase price most of time, so it's something else to take into consideration when you buy things online.
so (to continue the ebay example) if i win game x for $5, pay 3.50 for shipping, and then tack on the standard 1.30 for insurance, what do i get back? if the game was lost/destroyed, i can't get another, so i get 5.00 back? 8.50 to include the shipping too?
yeah, if it's worth a fair bit i can see doing it (like joe's textbook example). but for the small change stuff i get from ebay it's a waste of money i say.
What game? You could definitely get back the cover price, regardless of what you paid for it.
Quote from: beeberso (to continue the ebay example) if i win game x for $5, pay 3.50 for shipping, and then tack on the standard 1.30 for insurance, what do i get back? if the game was lost/destroyed, i can't get another, so i get 5.00 back? 8.50 to include the shipping too?
yeah, if it's worth a fair bit i can see doing it (like joe's textbook example). but for the small change stuff i get from ebay it's a waste of money i say.
That depends on how much the shipper insured it for. The norm I believe is to insure the purchase amount, so in your example you would get $5.00 and would be out the $3.50 for shipping and the $1.35 for insurance. (USPS insurance starts at $1.35 for up to $50 of value)
I'm not sure how well it works insuring for the original value as opposed to what was paid, I'm guessing that some sort of proof of value would be required to file a claim and always figured that if I simply reprinted the PayPal invoice it would work the easiest as I was selling used gamebooks and such.
james: no particular game. it hasn't happened to me. i was speaking hypothetically, thankfully.
to cnath.rm: thanks, that's kind of what i had thought. thanks for clarifying.